Cacoethes Verse
by GillyTweed
Summary: Superhero/Villain AU- Chapter 3- A Fool Thinks Herself to be Wise- Heda finally manages to get the drop on the villain that has been a pain in her ass since they'd met. That doesn't mean she wins though.
1. I Built a Moral Compass

I've Built a Moral Compass, and You're My True North

Pairing: Clexa

Rating: A-okay for Kiddies (K)

Note: So, this is the first little snippet of my Cacoethes Verse, or rather, my superhero/villain AU. I actually have plans for an extended universe, although it'll probably be slow going. This snippet takes place in Year 3 of the timeline I have planned out, where as Year 1 is when Clarke and Lexa meet for the first time.

* * *

Everything was going great.

The minions were working, the last heist had gone off without a hitch, and now all she had to do was finish the last of this paper work, then she was free to do whatever she wished. She could have nice relaxing evening. Thoughts of going home, having a nice bath, and then maybe catching up on some of her ever growing list of Netflix recommendations flowed through her head. Everything was going great.

That is until a fellow villain decided to literally break down her door.

"Raven!"

Wanheda burst in, dressed in full costume, making the polished wood doors cracking under the force. The blonde rushed to her desk, slamming her hands down, making the wood creak dangerously. Raven sighed, catching her coffee mug with her mechanical hand before it could tumble off the table. So much for a relaxing evening.

"Raven! How do I develop a moral compass in 24 hours?"

The brunette blinked, trying to comprehend what her friend had just said.

"What?"

Another hand came down on the desk, indenting the wood.

"How do I develop a moral compass in 24 hours?"

Raven blinked at her friend, the gears of her robotic eye whirring as it narrowed in conjunction with her human eye.

"Clarke… this is about that hero you're dating, isn't it?"

Raven had known for a while that the blonde villain had been (stupidly, in her opinion) dating a hero. Thus far, a year into their relationship, it had yet to really affect any villains plans, but it seemed something was about to change. Her suspicions were confirmed when Clarke shuffled awkwardly, toying with the robotic arm affixed to the brunette's desk.

"Okay, what's going on?"

She sighed, leaning back in her chair and steepling her fingers. She had a feeling this would take a while. The blonde looked up at her with puppy dog eyes, the same eyes that had gotten her past security guards of all skill levels on more than one occasion, a nervous look on her face.

"Well, I'm meeting her family tomorrow, I'm nervous cause they're all heroes too-"

"Wait, wait, wait…. That entire hero clans related? Like, Heda, Gona, Fleimkeepa, and that blonde brat Natblida?"

The cyborg villain leaned forward on her desk, suddenly very interested. Clarke nodded, looking a little uncomfortable.

"Damn… no wonder they all have amazing cheekbones…"

She relaxed back into her chair, the world seeming to make a little more sense now. Clarke shuffled a little more before continuing, her forceful air now taken over by obvious anxiety.

"As I said, they're all heroes, and I really like L-Heda."

Raven raised an eyebrow at the slip but let it slide as the blonde villain began to ramble.

"I really like her, Raven, and I want her family's approval. I want to be good for her because she's so amazing and kind, and she sees me as a person, not just a villain, and she's so pretty, ya know?"

The brunette sighed.

"No, I don't know. You are literally the only villain alive that has seen her with her mask off."

It was true. There had been several instances when Heda had been captured and had her identity revealed, but the villains who were responsible had never lived long enough to use the information because Clarke, or Wanheda, had killed them. The villain community had quickly learned that the hero was off limits when it came to searching for her secret identity.

Clarke sighed loudly, flopping over into a chair and propping her feet on the desk. Raven wrinkled her nose at the mud stained soles but didn't comment, only sliding the finished stacks of paperwork away from the risk of being ruined.

"She's amazing, Rae. She likes reading, and candles, and big sweaters. She does this thing with her nose when she laughs that makes me want to never look away. She always has the interest of everyone else in mind, and I get this really weird feeling in my chest when she's hurt or captured that won't go away until I know she's safe."

The cyborg sighed as her friend looked off dreamily into the distance, rubbing her temples to alleviate her slowly growing headache.

"Clarke, Princess, Sweetie. That's a concept called "Caring," and I know I've said this before, but that is generally not a great thing to feel when you're in the villainy business."

The older girl raised an eyebrow at the love sick blonde. She didn't even let herself hope that Clarke would listen to reason. She'd known the other girl long enough to know how stubborn and hopeless she was when it came to romance.

"Please, Rae? Help me be good for her?"

Clarke's pleading gaze intensified, adding in a pout with a quivering lip and the slightest hint of tears. The brunette rolled her eye's so hard she almost worried that a wire in her robotic eye might disconnect.

"Ugh, fine. Just let me call Octavia. I refuse to deal with this alone."

She reached for the phone, grumbling as Clarke jumped up from her chair, yelling in victory, all traces of her pitiful act gone. Raven jabbed the numbers on the phone as her brain turned to her new task. It was doubtful that they could teach Clarke to actually have a moral compass in 24 hours but she did have good acting skills, so maybe they just needed to teach her how a normally moral person would act. She placed the phone to her ear. Maybe multiple choice tests would be a good place to start.

* * *

Endnote: Want to send in a prompt, have questions about my fics, want to talk about writing, or want really inconsistent updates on my progress, come follow my tumblr GillyTweed


	2. I Like Not Fair Terms

I Like Not Fair Terms and a Villain's Mind

Pairing: Clexa

Rating: Children Shouldn't Read Alone (T)

Notes: Another chapter for this story. I half forgot to post this one here by accident :P but I plan on updating at least three of my stories in the next few days and I kinda needed to get this one caught up. This chapter takes place long before the last one in what I call Year 1. It's when Clarke and Lexa first meet as Wanheda and Heda.

 **Chapter Warnings: there is mention of suicide (nothing actually happens), and an attempted rape (but trust me when I say it gets dealt with), oh yeah and Murder**

* * *

She breathed deeply as wind blew across the roof top, stretching her arms wide as the wind whipped at her hair. Her mask was a pleasant weight on her face, giving her a feeling of freedom that her regular civilian identity could never afford her.

Ah, what a feeling.

The sounds of late night traffic rumbled below, the lights of downtown Polis giving her a perfect view of the city scape. It was the first night since she'd moved from Arkadia that she'd managed to pull out her suit. The sleek black suit felt like a second skin, hugging her like an old friend. The jacket over top was a comforting weight, the armoured plates placed throughout giving her a sense of safety that was hard to replicate. The handgun that was holstered at her back only increased the feeling. Stepping back from the edge of the roof, she stretched and adjusted the fingerless gloves that adorned her arms along with checking the laces on her boots. It wouldn't do to get injured on her first night out in a long while because she didn't stop to check her equipment.

Finally ready to go, she pulled out her grappling hook, checking it over as well before crouching down into a runners stance. Breathing one last time, she pushed off.

"Hey!"

She skid to a stop, stumbling just before the edge, heart beating in adrenaline fueled alarm. Whirling around, she practically snarled.

"What?!'

She grit her teeth at the sight of the hero. She'd been aware of the hero clan that resided in Polis before moving, but she'd hoped she would have the opportunity to explore before running into one of them. She breathed in deeply, partially to calm her pounding heart, partially to cool her simmering frustration. She hated being surprised, especially by a hero. She prided herself on being one step ahead after all.

The hero pushed off the wall she'd been leaning against, dropping her arms from their crossed position as she walked over. The hero, dressed in all black, the infinity symbol blazoned across her chest, and a cowl covering all her features but her mouth, fabulous jaw, along with a hint of glorious cheekbones, stepped towards her with a self-assured swagger. She was obviously confident in her position as a hero, like she could do no wrong, and it rubbed the villain the wrong way.

"You know that ending it all isn't the answer."

She scoffed as she scanned the hero's figure, noting the hidden armour, and the duel batons strapped to her back. This girl had money, that was for sure; her tech was top notch.

"Do I look like a jumper to you?"

She motioned to herself with flare, cocking a hip and allowing a playful grin and a quirk of an eyebrow. The hero paused, and if she wasn't mistaken, swallowed. Good, this hero wasn't one of those infallible hardasses that only focused on "the mission." She needed to get back into the driver's seat, and the only way to do that would be to knock this glorified vigilante off her high horse. She stepped closer, swaying her hips from side to side.

"If you're not jumping, then what are you doing here?"

She widened her smile slightly, like her mother taught her so long ago, tilting her head down coyly. A muscle in the hero's jaw jumped.

"Well, I just moved here, and I was going to… take a look around."

She made a show of scanning the hero up and down, resisting the urge to smile as the other girl shifted from foot to foot.

"And, you are?"

She stepped closer, breathing out the question, making her voice a low husk as she tucked blonde lock behind one ear. She couldn't tell due to the tinted lenses of the cowl, but any other hero in this situation would have tracked the motion with laser focus.

"Heda."

She forced herself not to pause, to keep moving. Heda was the main hero of the city; the leader of the little hero clan, and arguably the most dangerous. This could either be a good opportunity to gather information, or a oneway ticket to the Skybox.

Pushing closer, she held in a chuckle as Heda stiffened. They were close now, crossing personal space close. She picked up the small whir of shifting tech, watched as the lenses on the cowl widened. With a trailing finger, she traced the infinity emblem, noting the hardness of a chestplate under the tightly woven fabric of the suit.

"Would you… be able to show me the more… pleasurable sights?"

She contained her laugh as the Heda's breath quickened, the hero stepping back from her wandering hands. It seemed the other girl wasn't taking any chances. What with the intricate armour and high tech additions, she really shouldn't be that surprised.

"I'd like to get to know who you are first. What's your name?"

The Hero didn't have her hands hovering over her weapons, but her stiff stance did give away her suspicion. Turning, she stepped towards the edge of the roof, attempting to look as casual as possible. Once she revealed who she was, there was little doubt that Heda would attack. She was responsible for quite a few things over in Arkadia city that would get her easily thrown in the Skybox for a very long time.

Hopping up on the small ledge on the edge of the building, she checked over the grappling hook strapped to her arm one last time, making it seem she were examining her nails in a show of vanity. Heda frowned at her actions, stepping forward.

"Hm, 'getting to know each other,' I think I'd like that."

Straightening, dropping her air of flirtatiousness and replacing it with a stretching smirk, she swept her arms wide.

"I'm Wanheda."

Even through the stiff cowl, the villain could see the realization, then shock, that spread across her face. The hero attempted to grab her as she kicked off the edge back first, movements clumsy from being taken off guard. A thrill filled her as she fell, one part adrenaline from the fall, one part smug pleasure from once again being a step ahead.

She wasn't surprised when the hero followed her, diving off the skyscrapers roof in a graceful dive. Electric excitement flowed through her as she deployed her grappling hook, the small jerk of her arm, and then she was swinging through the roadways of downtown Polis. She could feel the hero at her back, following her closely.

It became a chase, almost a test of sorts.

She swung and flipped between buildings, fainting and evading with increasing difficulty until she was almost certain she'd lost the hero. She stopped on a smaller building tucked between two tall, office-filled towers, breathing hard. Sweat trickled from her hairline and her muscles burned pleasantly. She hadn't had a workout like that in a long time.

"Well, this will be exciting."

She chirped to herself. In Arkadia, she'd always had to face her father's heroes, older men that always underestimated her abilities. But here, oh she was excited. There were younger heroes, younger _female_ heroes, that had seen some of the worst that people like her had to offer. They would learn quickly not to underestimate her, and it sent a shiver of delight through her.

Stretching out her arms, she prepared to return home, to her comfy bed and hot bath and warm food. Such things would certainly top off her perfect evening. Prepping her grappling hook, she didn't register the sound of rushing wind until someone rammed into her side.

She was sent sprawling, the wind effectively knocked from her lungs. She registered heavy boots walking towards her, getting closer with cautious steps. She coughed as she sucked in air and rolled over with a groan.

Note to self: add and/or update armour

"That hurt…"

She grunts as she feels herself being straddled, the heavy metal of handcuffs being slid over her wrists. She grins up at Heda and bucked her hips, jolting the hero.

"Well, we're moving fast, aren't we? You haven't even bought me dinner yet."

Heda grit her teeth, visibly unsettled by the response.

"Quiet. A lot of authorities have been dying to put you in the Skybox for a long time."

There was some anger in the hero's voice, but it seemed to be directed inward. Anger at not realizing who the villain was at one look. Now cuffed, Heda pulled the blonde to her feet, a firm grip on her arm. Wanheda sighed, stretching her arms low like she were trying to get rid of the last few aches from the tackle, all while a thin wire slide out from the open fingers of her gloves.

She followed Heda to the edge of the roof, side eyeing her as the hero fiddled with her cowl. She picked the locks on the cuff rather quickly but waited as the black clad hero had a one sided conversation with whoever she had on her cowls com channel.

"Fleimkepa, were you aware that Wanheda moved cities?"

She ignored the rest, hiding her smile as the cuffs came loose. She casually looked around, noting fire escapes, overhanging ledges, and the ever loosening grip the Heda had on her arm. It seemed Polis' golden girl still had a lot to learn, but at least the chase was fun.

She was just about to spin, plant a boot into the hero's stomach, but a shrill scream gave her pause. Both she and Heda whipped around, searching for the sound. It sounded again, coming from the alley on the other side of the building.

"No! No, please!"

The voice was a woman's, making her heart drop into her stomach. She shared a look with Heda before they both rushed over to the roofs edge.

Down below, a man in a hoodie, hood up, had a young, sobbing woman pressed harshly against a wall. A purse lay a ways away, contents scattered across the ground. Her blood boiled as she watched the man fumbled with his own clothes.

Before she, or Heda, could realize what had happened, she dropped into the alley, picked handcuffs clattering to the roof's surface. She saw red as she grabbed the man by the back of his hoodie and threw him bodily into the far wall. A roar tore itself from her throat.

The woman behind her sobbed, sliding to sit on the ground as she stalked towards the groaning man. The skin of her fingers prickled dangerously as she flexed her hands. She barely registered Heda dropping down behind her or the low words of reassurance she gave the woman. All she saw was red as she grabbed the man and slammed him against the wall, her fingers searching for his skin, the energy that lay beneath.

She felt a rush as he screamed, life shriveling away before everyone's eyes. The ache from Heda's tackle disappeared, along with all the sore muscles from the chase, as energy buzzed through her limbs. Heda yelled, the hero's voice drowned out by the bloodrush in her ears. Awareness only returned when the man dropped to the ground, a dead, grey, shriveled husk of what he once was.

She turned with a satisfied grin, feeling energized, but pulled up short when she noticed Heda. The other girl had adopted a fighting stance, putting herself between Wanheda and the still trembling woman.

"You killed him."

It was a statement.

She crossed her arms, feeling affronted. A horrible person that was going to do horrible things was now gone. She would have assumed that the hero would have been okay with that.

"Of course I did! He was going to rape her! What else does he deserve?"

Heda grit her teeth, fists clenching as she pulled them closer to herself. The hero's muscles bunched and coiled as she contained her anger.

"A fair trial! Due process! The justice system exists for a reason, and he might have been scum, but even scum deserves basic rights!"

The blonde tilted her head, blinking as she considered the statement.

"The justice system is inherently flawed. Every day murderers and rapists go free while innocent people go behind bars, so excuse me if I don't trust it. Besides…"

She turned way, adjusting her grappling hook in what she hoped was an absent manner.

"He was guilty. We both knew it, so I see no problem with skipping a process that could give him an out."

She turned back to Heda, face stoney.

"The system, every system, is broken, Hero, and I have every intention of fixing it. Even if that means a few deaths and sacrifices along the way."

Before she could get a response, she flung up her arm, aimed her grappling hook and fired, swinging away while Heda roared after her. It seemed the hero really did have a lot to learn about the world, but she was more than willing to teach her.

* * *

Endnote: Want to send in a prompt, have questions about my fics, want to talk about writing, or want really inconsistent updates on my progress, come follow my tumblr GillyTweed. Also, I'd really like feedback on this particular fic because I'm doing it in a way thats going to be very different from my usual style (Non-linear as a bunch of oneshots) so I'd like to hear peoples opinions.


	3. A Fool Thinks Herself to be Wise

A Fool Thinks Herself to be Wise  
Pairing: Clexa  
Rating: Children Shouldn't Read Alone (T)

Note: So, turns out I had this finished but I forgot... Anywho, here's some thing from Lexa's point of view!

* * *

She was an idiot.

Her fists pounded on the bag, but the burn of her muscles and the bruises forming on her knuckles didn't seem like enough punishment for her stupidity.

She'd been doing so well.

Almost seven years as Heda, and she hadn't slipped once. She'd taken down villain after villain, put multiple criminals behind bars. Yet after the arrival of that enraging girl Wanheda, everything had gone down hill.

She'd slipped on their first meeting. She'd been tired, out of focus. The anniversary of her mother's death had been soon, Costia had said they needed a break, work had been hounding her ass despite her father's efforts to redirect their attention. It had been an off day, which had let one of Arkdia City's most dangerous criminals get away, and it made her so angry with herself.

She hit harder, adding in kicks and spins, the heavy bag rattling dangerously on it's hooks.

The next time they'd crossed paths, she'd been so eager to fix her mistake. Eager and reckless to the point that Aden had commented, and when Natblida, the sidekick literally known in the papers as being reckless, says she'd gone too far, then she knew she needed to take a step back. Her emotions were high, she was stressed. She needed to think everything through.

Breathing hard, she steadied the bag, leaning her forehead against the cool canvas, eyes sliding closed. She stayed like that for a long while, letting the rhythmic sound of the air conditioning fans sooth her. She ignored the sounds of footsteps coming closer, down the steps from the upper levels, instead focusing on her still pounding heart.

"Hey, Lex."

She hummed in response, signalling that she was listening.

"We found some- why is it so dark in here?"

She sighed, blinking open her eyes to take in the sight of Anya, fully suited up as Gona, but with her cowl down, squinting into the dim room.

"Even though it's been this way since I was born, I feel like you keep forgetting that I can see much, much better than you."

She smirked into the gloom. Methodically unwrapping her hands, she strode over to her sister, easing up the light settings just enough that Anya could see her without issue. The light wasn't harsh or bright, but everything was thrown into sharp clarity. She could see every corner of the room with ease.

"What did you find?"

Anya raised an eyebrow, but continued.

"Dad managed to find Wanheda on some security camera's. She is really good at being stealthy, but we're better."

The older girl winked, a cocky grin on her face. Lexa puffed out a laugh, shaking her head at her siblings confidence.

"Alright then, let me get suited up and we'll make a plan. Is Aden coming, or is school kicking his ass?"

Anya leaned against the doorframe as Lexa pulled on the compression underclothes of her suit. Anya's own suit took much longer to put on than her sisters, so it was a slight surprise that she was already set to go. While the Gona suit was extremely similar to the Heda suit, right down to the infinity symbol on the chest, there were some functional differences. Heavy armour along the arms complemented Anya's superior strength nicely, and the lighter armour on her legs and torso allowed for her enhanced speed to go relatively unhindered by the added weight. Aden had once called her "the perfect tank."

"He's busy with homework, but he promises to make time for training on saturday."

The younger girl nodded as she pushed past her sister, taking the stairs up two at a time.

Their 'lair' as the siblings had affectionately named it, much to their fathers irritation, overlooked the city that they'd sworn to protect. The old clock tower that disguised their abode was situated near downtown, a few streets over from the waterfront, and near Ton DC Hospital. The perfect place for their crime fighting operations, and being so high up let them jump straight onto the roof tops.

Her father, Titus, or FleimKepa, typed away at his computer, a few different images of Wanheda frozen on one of the screens. She paused at the sight of the villain, the small smirk and the glinting blue eyes sending shivers down her spine.

A slight push from Anya has her racing to her suit, slipping it on with a sigh of happiness. The suit made her feel safe and confident, like she could really do some good in the world. She jogged over to her Father's desk as she adjusted her gauntlets, where he and Anya discussed Wanheda.

"Do we know what she's doing?"

Fleimkepa grunted, his regular frown creasing his features.

"I'd assume going to kill someone. There have been reports of several bodies showing up all throughout the city, although most concentrated in the Dead Zone. Known rapists, human traffickers, some drug dealers although all had past crimes involving abuse. Rather odd, but consistent with her MO from Arkadia. The rape and human trafficking statistics are very low there, mostly because of her."

Anya frowned as she pulled up her cowl.

"Then why are we going after her? She's getting scum off the streets."

Lexa mirrored her sister, pulling her own cowl up and adjusting the built in blinders and hearing protection, along with turning on the built in camera. Blank screens on the desk blinked to life, showing the two camera feeds from their cowls. Fleimkepa leaned back in his chair, pulling up Wanheda's file. The file was large, showing combat statistics and her long list of crimes.

"Because she's killing them rather than turning them over to the police. I read up on her statistics from the ArkPD. Once she finishes with the most immediate and obvious criminals, she moves on to Government officials and white collar criminals. While all are proven guilty of some crime or another after the fact, they're still dead."

Gona swallowed at that, coughing slightly as she turned to Heda.

"So, what're we waiting for? The camera's indicated she was heading towards the Dead Zone."

Heda nodded, adjusting her suit one last time. They headed towards the balcony, grappling hooks at the ready.

"Lexa, remember you have a meeting with the new branch head of Griffin Co. tomorrow at ten AM. She's the daughter of the CEO, so don't be late."

Lexa waved back at her father to show she heard, putting the reminder at the back of her mind. She had more important things to worry about.

The hero duo lept off the balcony, firing their grappling hooks. It didn't take terribly long to reach the Dead Zone. Not having to battle traffic cut down on their travel time significantly, but they still had to stop and stretch their arms once they reached the slums edge.

The Dead Zone was a series of housing and business districts situated on a peninsula on the north-eastern side of the city. Surrounded by water on three sides, the Dead Zone was the centre of Polis' smuggling and crime rings, and the designated slums of the city. It had such a high concentration of criminals and villains, which had resulted in a buddy system being implemented whenever the heroes had to go inside.

"Alright, Heda, what's the plan?"

Gona stretched, groaning out her question. They'd stopped on one of the warehouses near the Dead Zones edge to get an update from Fleimkepa. Heda was silent, listening to her father over their com channel.

"Wanheda was last sighted near The DropShip, so let's head over there and see what we can find."

The DropShip was a well known hangout for the less savoury citizens of Polis City, many of which would shoot any of the heroes without a thought, so there was an unspoken/once spoken rule of "Don't go in the dang bar, I'm looking at you Aden." It was run by a pair of suspiciously proper gentlemen, Monty Green and Jasper Jorden. Neither had a juvenile record, and their business was run to the letter of the law. Their only notable transgression was being accused of illegally making moonshine, but the charges had been dropped due to insufficient evidence. The two boys, no older than college age, were so incredibly innocent it was down right suspicious, especially with where they decided to set up shop.

The two heroes dropped onto the bars roof, hidden behind the sign depicting a falling spaceship in gaudy neon lights. It was rather quiet, the endless traffic of downtown nonexistent here. Instead, the air was filled with low chatter from the bar's patrons, dogs baying from several streets over, and the odd yell that rang down the eerie streets.

Their coms crackled in their ears, giving way to the comforting sound of their father's voice.

"I found her again. She ran past a working security camera outside a warehouse near the pier. I'll send you the coordinates."

A GPS map flashed across the lenses in their cowls, sending them sprinting towards the pier. They ran across the rooftops in tandem, Anya in front to act as a springboard for Lexa when a roof was just that little bit too far, but not worth using a grappling hook to get to. The need for assistance did grate a little on the younger hero, but she had grudgingly accepted her limitations. She had enhanced sight and hearing, Anya had greater strength and speed. That was fact and she couldn't do anything about it.

They arrived at the designated location within minutes, dropping in front of the camera, Anya cheekily waving, then continued running in the direction Fleimkepa directed them. Heda spread out her senses, trying her best to listen for the sounds of a fight, or rather murder. Filtering out the sounds of her own breathing, the pounding of boots on tarmac and the light clicks of Anya's heavy armour, she sorted through the noises of the Dead Zone. Gone went the sounds of howling dogs and hissing cats, the raucous laughter from nearby bars, and the sound of lapping water against dock supports.

A scream cut through the noise.

"Did you hear that?"

She felt as though she could hear the eye roll.

"No."

Farther than normal hearing then.

"This way."

They skid around a corner, spraying gravel. The sounds of screams and gunfire grew louder.

"Heda, you're in Reaper territory."

Her father's voice had a worried edge. The Reapers were a known gang with several organized crime connections, so if Wanheda was here then she was most likely going for one of those connections or one of the gang's leaders.

The gunfire continued, but was gradually lessening, fading into the sounds of grunts and agonized screams that rang in her ears. They were identical to the scream of the man the villain had killed in front of her on their first meeting. A broken door came into view, the lock destroyed by bullets and then kicked inwards. The entrance led into a warehouse, identical to the one next to it, all grey and red brick with yellow painted letters to indicate who owned what. The paint on this particular warehouse was so damaged that the only letter left was a ragged 'R.' How fitting.

She and Gona slid down into the warehouse on their knees, popping up in low crouches behind a stack of crates. The scene before them made their mouths go dry.

Bodies, dead husks were scattered on the floor, other, healthier bodies, were slumped against the walls, bullets and blood splatters painting a gory picture. Gunfire flashed about the room as Wanheda dodged and rolled, blonde hair flying with every movement, firing her own gun as she grabbed a gangster by the face, his agonized scream ripping through the air as he shrivelled grotesquely. Anya's breath picked up beside her, a shaky sound that matched her own heart beat.

"Come on, they might be criminals but they don't deserve this."

Gona nodded, a tense frown on her face. In unison, they vaulted over their hiding place, feet planting themselves in the backs of two gangsters. They were sent sprawling, falling with shocked cries, drawing the attention of the vengeful villain. Wanheda looked shocked for a handful of seconds before her face fell into an easy smile, like her murder spree hadn't just been interrupted.

There weren't many opponents left, the majority either dead or having fled once Wanheda had been distracted. Heda darted forward, determination in her posture. She wasn't letting the blonde get away again. Gona took on the job of finishing off the last of the gangsters, enhanced strength filled punches sending them flying.

Wanheda jumped away at Heda's first low sweeping kick, hopping up onto a crate to avoid the subsequent flurry of jabs. They danced like this for a while, at a stalemate as Wanheda refused to engage. Only when Anya joined her, having finished the rest of the gangsters did they pause.

"Give up Wanheda, it's over."

The blonde stood stiffly, perched on a crate. It seemed they'd managed to back her into a corner. Movement to the back end of the room had everyone turning, a man in a filthy suit sprinted towards the exit, a briefcase in hand.

"It's not over until he's dead!"

Wanheda snarled, bringing up her gun, firing off two shots before Heda managed to tackle her. They tumble to the ground, the bang of the gun right next to her ear making her head spin. The blonde manages to elbow her in the face, slipping from her grasp. The ear protection in her cowl had worked to an extent, sealing off her ears nanoseconds after the shot went off, but the noise was still loud enough to stun her.

Note to self: develop and update better ear protection

The yells of Fleimkepa buzzing in her ear, and then Gona were the first sounds she managed to hear after the ringing in her ears subsided. She stumbled to her feet, startling when her sisters arms came around her in a hug.

"God, I thought you were dead."

Anya's voice held relief, as they separated. She put a palm to the side of her head, only barely feeling the pressure through the padding of her cowl. She scanned the warehouse, taking in the bodies, the absent Wanheda and the suited man sprawled groaning on the floor, a shoddy bandage around his leg.

"He'll live. Fleimkepa already has an ambulance and police enroute."

She nodded, gritting her teeth as a headache began to pound behind her eyes. It seemed they'd managed to win a small victory against Wanheda. While they didn't catch her, they had saved her target, meaning they could hand him over to the police to undergo due process. Not the most ideal outcome, but better than nothing. Plus, they might be able to learn something from the recordings from their cowls.

"Alright, we'll stay until they get here. Then we go home. I need a ton of aspirin if I'm going to survive that meeting tomorrow."

* * *

EndNote: Want to send in a prompt, have questions about my fics, want to talk about writing, or want really inconsistent updates on my progress, come follow my tumblr GillyTweed


End file.
